By Daniel Nhakaniso
Zimbabwe sprinter Makanakaishe Charamba will look to cap a breakthrough first full professional season with a strong performance against a world-class field in the men’s 200m at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on Saturday.
The 24-year-old has secured his place in the season-ending event after a consistent campaign on the Diamond League circuit, where he has repeatedly challenged established names in the 200m.
Charamba will face a formidable field that includes two-time Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, Cuba’s Reynier Mena, American Courtney Lindsey, Puerto Rico’s José Figueroa, Switzerland’s Timothé Mumenthaler, as well as Botswana Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile.
The depth of the field underlines the scale of the challenge awaiting Charamba at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels.
The Zimbabwean’s best Diamond League result came in Doha in June, when he finished second behind Dambile in a personal best of 19.88 seconds.
He followed that with third-place finishes in Eugene and Lausanne, clocking 20.11 and 20.14 respectively, before finishing fourth in Zurich in 20.10.
Those results earned Charamba enough points to secure a place among the finalists for his first Diamond League season finale.
His performances have marked a significant step forward since he moved into the professional ranks, with the Zimbabwean consistently competing against some of the leading sprinters in the world.
Charamba also claimed his first professional victory away from the Diamond League circuit in July, winning the 200m at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas, in 19.88 seconds to equal his personal best.
Brussels therefore offers Charamba another opportunity to measure his progress against elite opposition and bring the curtain down on a memorable first full season as a professional.